How Electric Vehicles are Changing E-commerce Delivery with Sustainable Solutions
✍️ Opinions
This article has been contributed by Sravan Kumar Appana, Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer of iGowise Mobility.
The electric vehicle industry has made tremendous progress in the past 4 years in India, especially in the affordable 2-wheeler segment built for the middle class. During the same time, the e-commerce sector also made notable advancements in India and is currently growing at a rapid pace. According to publicly available data, the e-commerce industry will be responsible for 3.5% of India’s GDP by 2030.
In today’s time, each quick commerce company is looking for ways to surpass its competitors, whether in terms of quality, speed, or other evolving demands of modern consumers. Major quick commerce players have shifted their focus from traditional ICE vehicles to advanced and innovative electric vehicles to overcome these challenges. Data shared by Stand.earth suggests that 50% of total carbon emissions are produced by last-mile deliveries.
Given the push towards e-mobility and sustainability, players like Zepto and Zomato are transitioning towards EV solutions to mitigate the environmental issue. In fact, the recent EV100 Annual Disclosure Report shows that Zomato and Flipkart took the top spots among global businesses that have shifted to electric fleets as their mode of delivering goods. In this regard, let’s discuss how EVs are changing the e-commerce delivery landscape one step at a time.
Shifting from TCO to TPO
In the early stage of EV production, the product was popular due to its lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) compared to traditional vehicles. However, now businesses have started focusing on solutions that impact the environment and their pocket in positive ways. As a result, industries are focusing on Total Profit Ownership (TPO), which includes a broader market perspective, including delivery speed, comfortability of the rider, and reduced upfront cost.
To achieve this goal and help e-commerce businesses, the Indian government launched various initiatives such as the FAME-II scheme and PM E-Drive scheme. Such schemes aimed at reducing the additional upfront cost of the vehicle through subsidies and financial support.
In India, around 14 cities are considered to be the most polluted ones, and transportation happens to be a key reason for this. Data shows that Indian transportation accounts for nearly 13.5% of the nation’s carbon emissions, majorly from vehicles running on roads.
However, the wide adoption of EVs can mitigate this problem and curb the issue of navigating densely populated regions. To achieve this, the government is targeting to increase EV penetration by 2030. The latest data shows that in FY23, sales of EVs increased by 50% compared to the previous year, highlighting the increasing shift towards sustainable mobility.
Balancing Cost Efficiency and Rider Comfort
To make the busy lifestyle of urban people easier, e-commerce has updated new features like quick 10-minute delivery. This new feature has transformed the consumer's experience to another level. For instance, platforms like Blinkit, Bigbasket, and Swiggy Instamart prioritize speed and convenience with the best quality, making it important for logistic levels to transform.
Today, India is the most populated country in the world, and due to the compact size and agility of light EVs, they are quickly emerging as the best logistics solution for the e-commerce sector. Data suggests that due to peak traffic in major cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Mumbai, the nation’s economy loses INR 1.47 lakh crore annually. However, integrating LEVs into businesses, particularly last-mile delivery services and logistics, will not only improve their model but also reduce the operation timeline, building customer trust.
Another challenge that riders often face is discomfort while riding bikes or scooters the whole day. Riding long hours could become comfortable if the vehicle is designed to prioritize comfort and agility. Modern light EVs are built for compactness, and narrow tilting trikes, in particular, boast of effective designs that can move effortlessly in congested areas. These user-centric designs make them ideal for quick pickup and last-mile deliveries.

Improved Safety with Inclusive Mobility
In the last-mile delivery business model, women are putting their best foot forward to tap into the economic and livelihood benefits it could bring them. To make their participation more convenient, they are seeking EVs with comfortable design and efficient performance. In addition, many EV manufacturers in association with e-commerce companies are offering women users EV alternatives like LEVs.
In a progressive world, we can see women capturing all sectors with their talent and knowledge; whether it is a startup or owning a saloon, they are giving their best in showcasing their talent. However, in the delivery sector, they still have to rely upon their father or brother and to mitigate this issue, manufacturers have started innovating LEVs that offer the best stability and agility for carrying goods, reducing the risk of disbalance.
The convenient design and performance of the vehicles are in turn promoting women's participation in the e-commerce logistics workforce. Road safety is another issue of concern for delivery executives. According to the reports of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, in 2022, 168,491 lives were claimed in road accidents. However, by incorporating innovative technologies like anti-topple stability, advanced battery management, skid-resistant brake systems, and ADAS and cruise control systems, EVs can bring about a change.
For instance, the world’s first twin-wheeler trike technology is inspired by the principles used in bullet train stabilization systems but adapted for road vehicles to enhance safety. This technology will reduce the risk of accidents during sharp turns or even on uneven turns, making them more convenient for riders, especially women riders.
How EV Logistics is Matching Sustainability Goals
India’s push for sustainability goals in logistics aligns with achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2070. To achieve this goal, the government has started working on models, including the low-carbon development of electricity systems.
In addition, it is putting efforts into promoting the wide adoption of urban designing and smart technology, the development of integrated and innovative transportation, the development of low-emission industrial systems, the development of carbon dioxide removal, and solving the financial needs of low-carbon developments. The government has also launched various schemes in all these sectors to achieve this goal and
According to reports, it is projected that EV sales can surge up to 35% by 2030. Reports also state that shifting toward EVs by 2050 could save India 70 million tonnes of oil, reducing the nation's carbon emissions.
In these ways, EVs are changing the e-commerce delivery segment and encouraging a shift to a sustainable future. As India moves towards sustainable development, wide adoption of EVs will largely benefit the e-commerce sector, improving the overall GDP of the country.

Must have tools for startups - Recommended by StartupTalky
- Convert Visitors into Leads- SeizeLead
- Website Builder SquareSpace
- Manage your business Smoothly Google Business Suite